"I look forward to... a formal deposition where he will be given the opportunity to tell us everything he knows. We would like to do this as soon as possible, at his convenience," he said.

The challenge came as it was claimed that the Duke of York had insisted on being "loyal" when advised to dump Epstein after his conviction for sex offences.

The prince (59) issued a statement on Sunday saying he was "appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes".

The unusual decision to issue a statement led to questions over why the prince visited Epstein at his Manhattan mansion in 2010, two years after the financier had admitted having sex with an underage girl and was linked to the molestation of 36 others.

A video of his stay emerged over the weekend.

US Attorney General William Barr yesterday shook up the leadership at the federal Bureau of Prisons, removing its acting chief following the suicide of financier Jeffrey Epstein in his cell.

Hugh Hurwitz, who had been acting chief since May 2018, was reassigned to his prior post as director of the bureau's re-entry services division.